The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-05-05
Educating Young Indians.

The very marked improvement in the
Indian training-school at old Fort Yuma.
across the river since it came under the
management of the Sisters of Charity
is certainly gratifying to the Indian de-
partment and to the friends of the In
dians generally, says the Yuma Se1atG
mel.
The Yumas, luckily a small tribe, ara
among the very poorest and most ig1
norant of all the Indians, and to make
any intellectual impression upon them
would seem almost a hopeless task
Yet the last eight or nine months under
the Sisters careful treatment the chill
dren, wholly in their keeping, have
made considerable progress in thein
books and a marvellous change in them
personal appearance and habits of life
They are now a well-dressed, neat, clean
and cheerful set of young Indians.
whereas before they came to the school
they were roaming around in squalid
poverty and nakedness.
The very competent, energetic, and
efficient superintendent, Col. /. P:
Riley; paid visit of inspection to this
interesting school last Monday. He
gave the children, through the assis-
tance of an interpreter, a long, practic-
al, and sensible talk, which seemed to
be thoroughly understood by his young
auditors, and was thoroughly appreciI
ated by Pasqual, the venerable chief of
the tribe, who, being present. arose at
the conclusion of Col. Riley's remarks,
and in eloquent terms sought to impress
authoritatively, the advice and instruc-
ton they had just received.
The primary object of all the Indian
schools being to teach the young to
speak the English language. at the
close of the old chiefs remarks Col.
Riley gave few illustrations of teach
ing the structure of sentences by COM
binatiOn of objects in way the chill
dren' thoroughly understood, which had
the happy result of showing them thew
could soon speak the English language
with little effort. He then offered
first and second prize to be given at the
close of the session to the two pupils,
boys OF girls, who could at that time
speak the most English, provided theip
department and habits met the approx
al of their teachers. The offer, we are
informed, has created considerable en-
ulation, and several are striving to be-
successful.
Although there are over seventy chill
dren in the school, Col. Riley asked
Pasqual why the others about one
hundred-remained away. He replied
that there were four causes that more
or less entered into the answer to that
question. In the first place, many Of
the parents and grandparents of the
children are poor and feeble. The gov
ernment gave them no assistance and
the children were poor and feeble. The
children had to contribute their labor
to their support, and that many were
desirous to come, but on that account
could not In the second place, many
parents feared that this school was but
preliminary step to having the chill
dren finally removed to some other
school in the east Thirdly, that when
the question was successfully solved
that their children could be taught to-
read and write English, add figures,
ETC., he would then be willing for them
to cut their hair and adopt the customs
and habits of civilized life, but not un-
til then. If he lived to see the present
experiment success he would cheer
fully embrace it, and so would his tribe,
In the fourth place, he would not ash
the government for assistance, but
would gratefully accept what 1t might
give in charity to his old and helpless
people. When that was done all the
children should come, if he had infu7
ence to secure such result. Being as7
sured by Col. Riley that the children
would never be sent from here only at
their own election, and that he would try
to remove all other obstacles, the meet
ing broke up with assurance that both
parties would work for the success Of
the Yuma school.